A Gift For You...
This past week, our teen class covered the story of Saint Nicholas (part of the unit of the Spirit of Christmas Past, Present, and Future) … after all, for better or worse, Santa Claus is probably the most prevalent fixture of the Spirit of Christmas PRESENT in our modern-day world. I love lessons like this because it is a chance for me to bring a little childlike wonder back into our teens’ lives. Typically, high schoolers are so fixated on proving how “grown-up” they are, how independent, how ready they are to be on their own. I wanted to show them that no one was too old to believe in Santa (well, Saint Nicholas) or his magical message of irrational generosity.
A poem that is now known as, “The Night Before Christmas,” is credited for being the catalyst for transforming the story of St. Nicholas into the myth of Santa Claus that we know today. As part of this series, I decided to re-write the poem to claim our beloved Orthodox Saint back. It was one of the games we used as part of the Christmas party package. I’d like to share it with you all. Feel free to us it as a game during a Sunday school lesson, a Christmas party, or just for fun with your family. I hope you enjoy it!
MY GIFT TO YOU IS HERE
Merry Christmas from Bridges to Orthodoxy!
Keep in mind, the site will be operational through the holidays, but I myself will be unplugging for a few weeks for some much needed rest and family time. Please be patient if you receive a delayed response. Blessed Feast of the Nativity and Happy New Year to you all!
Looking Ahead? Our January theme is called "No Chill," a 4-week unit on Self-Control. Have you ever heard the expression “that guy has no chill”? It usually refers to someone who reacts quickly, saying and doing whatever first pops in their mind without any regard to the consequence. In other words, it looks like someone with no self-control. In today’s social-media world, many times we forget that our comments and massages matter. Self-control requires plugging into a wise power source allowing us to filter our words and actions. This month, we will explore that power source and other important wisdom found in the book of Proverbs, Biblical stories, and in the lives of our Orthodox saints.
''A person without self-control is like a city whose walls are broken through" Proverbs 25:28
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Our February series is called, "Judgment Call," a 4-week unit on the problem with Judging.
For those who know sports, you know a referee's judgment calls are (ideally) neutral - not based on favoritism or bias, but pure truth. That ball was out of bounds; this player was unnecessarily rough; this team was offsides.
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus blew the whistle on us too commanding us not to judge and warning us of the potential fouls judging tends to bring.
Too often we cast harsh judgment on others and ourselves despite Christ's warning of these fouls, because, let's face it, sometimes we want people to feel bad for things they've done wrong, we want them to "pay." Looking at conflicts in the Bible, we will examine how our Lord blew the whistle on judgmental fouls and taught on avoiding them in the future.
Whether its judging others or judging ourselves, we hope our teens see that Christ's message emphasized extending God's grace, love, and forgiveness because we, in turn are in desperate need of that same grace, love and forgiveness.
"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." Matthew 7:1-2